Nasscom bemoans media 'entrapment' in Aussie ID case

Indian IT body Nasscom has hit back at the furore in Australia over the alleged sale of confidential information by Indian call centre staff.

Australia is the latest country to go Bangalore Bonkers after the state broadcaster ran an expose claiming it was offered confidential information on Aussie citizens culled from call centres based in India. The UK's Sun ran a similar scoop earlier this summer.

Nasscom said yesterday that it would work with authorities in India and Australia to investigate the claims that call centre workers were selling information that put honest Bruces at risk of identity theft. It said that it was seeking details from the TV show that made the allegations.

At the same time, it expressed concern that “that such reports emanate from 'entrapment operations' and no person has reported any harm yet.” It said that in the absence of any formal complaint even the authorities were not in a position to launch an investigation.

Nasscom also pointed out, quite rightly, that the problem of ID theft is not exactly unique to India, adding, “This problem, unfortunately, is unlikely to diminish as the world becomes increasingly interconnected and warped, criminal minds are likely to outpace technological solutions."

Well, quite.

In the meantime, that very interconectedness means if call cenre workers weren't already turned on to the idea of making a packet selling consumer information to tabloid hacks, they are now.®